Shiite politicians were divided Friday over their choice of a new nominee to head the next government after Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari agreed to let them try to find someone else acceptable to Sunnis and Kurds.Shiite officials hope to resolve the issue before a planned meeting of the Iraqi parliament Saturday. But some officials were pessimistic, and one said the divisions could develop into a new crisis within the alliance. Al-Jaafari's party, Dawa, was backing Jawad al-Maliki as the new nominee, according to three officials from different Shiite factions. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. However, the biggest Shiite party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, opposes al-Maliki because it fears he will be unacceptable to Sunni Arabs. Instead, the supreme council, or SCIRI, backs Ali al-Adeeb, who is also a Dawa member. ... http://www.usatoday.com

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has blocked a decision by the Hamas-led government to form a new volunteer security force. On Thursday, new Palestinian Interior Minister Said Siyam announced the formation of a force comprised of members of militant groups. Mr Siyam also nominated the militant leader Jamal Abu Samhadana to senior security post. The move was criticised by the Israel and the United States governments. Israeli Housing Minister, Zeev Boim, on Friday threatened to target Mr Samhadana, and said his appointment did not give him any immunity. Mr Samhadana is wanted in Israel for ordering attacks on Israeli targets. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4929704.stm

One of the Roman Catholic Church's most distinguished cardinals has publicly backed the use of condoms among married couples to prevent Aids transmission. Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini said that in couples where one had HIV/Aids, which could pass to the partner, the use of condoms was "a lesser evil". The Vatican says condoms should never be used, even to stop Aids spreading from one married partner to another. The Church teaches that abstinence is the best way to tackle disease. Cardinal Martini, who used to be Archbishop of Milan, made the comments in an interview with the Italian weekly magazine l'Espresso. In it he says that the fight against Aids, which has caused more than three million deaths, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, must be pursued by all available means. The Vatican has made no official comment on the article, in which the cardinal also raises the possibility of single mothers adopting abandoned children. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4929962.stm

A small plane crashed while trying to land in the fog near Indiana University, killing all five people aboard, police said Friday.Authorities believe college students were among the victims, said Indiana State Police Sgt. Joe Watts.The plane was headed to Bloomington’s Monroe County Airport from Lafayette, about 90 miles to the northwest. Shortly before midnight, the pilot activated the lights at the airport from the cockpit, but the plane never landed, Watts said. The wreckage was found just south of the airport about 4:15 a.m. Friday.Several 911 calls about a possible plane crash southwest of Bloomington also came in, said Mike Cornman, deputy fire chief in Van Buren Township....http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12420508/from/RSS/

New Orleans residents will take time out Saturday from their struggles to reclaim their lives to vote in one of the oddest mayoral elections in U.S. history -- a contest to pick the person who will oversee the Crescent City's comeback fight.Incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin, whose performance before, during and after Hurricane Katrina has been endlessly dissected and critiqued, drew 22 challengers in his bid for re-election, which was postponed nearly three months to give election officials in the storm-ravaged city more time to prepare.Nagin's strongest rivals are expected to be Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, scion of a New Orleans political dynasty, and Ron Forman, a first-time office seeker with strong ties to the city's business community who has raised more than $1.6 million since jumping into the race in mid-February....http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/21/new.orleans.elex/index.html?section=cnn_us

Three teens accused of beating a man to death in the middle of an intersection during a robbery that netted only $3 have been charged with murder, authorities said. Christopher Ryan Copeland, 17, William O'Leary Tedders, 17, and his brother Carlos Tedders, 16, all of Wayne, were arraigned Wednesday. Not guilty pleas were entered for the teens, who were ordered held pending a May 2 preliminary examination, the court said. They were charged as adults. If convicted, they face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. It was not immediately known Friday whether the teenagers had attorneys. Messages seeking comment were left at telephone listings for their last names in the Detroit suburb. ...http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1871234